Charlie Haden

Beautiful duets between guitarist Jim Hall and bassist CharlieHaden – recorded here in a previously-unissued live date from 1990 – with sublime sound throughout! Both players really open up when given the right sort of space – and find wonderful harmony together here – ways of brilliantly augmenting the strengths of each other, while also allowing for plenty of individual expression as well. The tracks are all quite long, and the record has this mellifluous quality that makes it a real standout in the catalog of both artists – a great reminder of Haden at his most intimate, and one of a handful of important duo recordings from Hall. Titles include "Down From Antigua", "First Song", "Turnaround", "Bemsha Swing", "In The Moment", "Skylark", and "Big Blues". CD

Beautiful sounds from the team of bassist CharlieHaden and percussionist Paul Motian – a record that draws on their earlier experiments on the ECM label, but delivers a sound with a lot more bite! The real difference here is pianist Geri Allen – whose presence in the group really helps deepen the sound and widen the tonal range – often with a pointed sensibility that's in contrast to the work of Haden and Motian. Both players act in a role that's more in the lead – so that the record is less a trio led by a pianist, than a meeting of a bassist and drummer, with piano in the mix. That balance gives it a very special feel – on titles that include "Blues In Motion", "Etude 1", "Lonely Woman", "Dolphy's Dance", "Fiasco", and "Sandino". LP, Vinyl record album

Spare, stretched-out work from tenorist Joe Henderson – one of his hippest recordings of the 80s, and a great live date recorded with just bass and drums for accompaniment! Henderson's horn is heard in great company with the bass of CharlieHaden and drums of Al Foster – both players who really know what to do with the extra time allotted them in the extended setting of the record – making the set a great showcase not just for Joe's raspy tone on tenor, but for their own beyond-rhythm talents as well! The whole thing's great – easygoing and open, but with a really dark edge – and titles include "Ask Me Now", "Serenity", "Beatrice", and "Invitation". CD

Keith Jarrett and CharlieHaden have been playing together for many decades – growing together in each other's musical lives, and continuing to find rich new ways of expression – even on more subtle sessions like this! The duo take on some of the standards territory that Keith's explored often with a trio – but work together wonderfully without any drums in the mix – as Charlie's bass blocks out these spare, solid spaces that Keith quickly fills with really lovely, lyrical lines on piano! There's not a huge amount of surprises in the record – but that's also what makes the whole thing so strong – as both players could really show off in such an unfettered setting, but instead choose to maturely show their strengths in such a subtle, but really effective way. Titles include "My Ship", "Round Midnight", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Godobye", "Everything Happens To Me", and "My Old Flame". CD

A beautiful large-concept album from Keith Jarrett – one that features his piano, the bass of CharlieHaden, and the tenor and soprano sax of Jan Garbarek as the main solo instruments over larger string orchestrations! There's a sense of excitement to the record right from the start – well, not excitement that you'd get in other jazz-based styles – but kind of a sense of hope, drama, and unfolding that really shades the record nicely – and gives it a different flavor from some of Jarrett's other larger form projects of the time – possibly creating the first really unified, extended musical vision he brought to a record like this in the 70s. Beautiful sounds throughout – with titles that include "Runes", "Solara March", and "Mirrors". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard music from the great Keith Jarrett – a beautifully-recorded concert performance from 1972, and one that draws together so many wonderful strands of his music at the time! The date's a trio one, but has a feel that's quite different than some of the more famous trio dates that Keith would record for ECM in later years – no standards here, just original tunes – and a very free-flowing lineup that has CharlieHaden on bass, Paul Motian on drums and percussion, and Jarrett himself playing a fair bit of flute, soprano sax, and percussion – in addition to his usual piano! That use of multiple instruments echoes some of Jarrett's music for Atlantic or Columbia, but with a bit more focus too – a vibe that really ties together Keith's earlier trio recordings and his early 70s experiments on Impulse – but with a very different feel here. The whole thing's very spiritual, and while there are some echoes of the freer Jarrett piano live dates to come, the structure is what really makes the whole thing great – on titles that include "Rainbow", "Everything That Lives Laments", "Piece For Ornette", "Song For Che", and "Take Me Back". An instant ECM classic! CD

One of the greatest records that CharlieHaden ever did, and a record that stands as sort of a bookend to his Liberation Music album on Impulse. As with that record, he's got a large group on here, and also like that one, he's playing a batch of tracks that have a definite political bent. Players include Don Cherry, Carla Bley, Dewey Redman, Paul Motian, Jim Pepper, and Michael Mantler; and tracks include "Ballad Of The Fallen", "Too Late", "La Pasionaria", and "The People United Will Never Be Defeated". The sound's a little bit less harsh than his Impulse recording, but it's no less impassioned, and the record's a very emotional batch of music. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records ever from Japanese drummer Masahiko Togashi – a rare European session that features the talents of Don Cherry on trumpet and CharlieHaden on bass! The session's one of Cherry's most compelling performances from the time – a really loose and free date that could have easily been recorded a decade before – yet which also seems to have that new sense of warmth and spiritualism that Don brought to his best experiments in the 70s. And Togashi really brings this spiritual, soulful quality to the proceedings – using percussion in earthy and subtle ways that really let Haden's basslines come forward too! Titles include "Rain", "Song Of Soil", "June", "Oasis", and "Words Of Wind (parts 1 & 2)". CD

Keith Jarrett and CharlieHaden have been playing together for many decades – growing together in each other's musical lives, and continuing to find rich new ways of expression – even on more subtle sessions like this! The duo take on some of the standards territory that Keith's explored often with a trio – but work together wonderfully without any drums in the mix – as Charlie's bass blocks out these spare, solid spaces that Keith quickly fills with really lovely, lyrical lines on piano! There's not a huge amount of surprises in the record – but that's also what makes the whole thing so strong – as both players could really show off in such an unfettered setting, but instead choose to maturely show their strengths in such a subtle, but really effective way. Titles include "My Ship", "Round Midnight", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Godobye", "Everything Happens To Me", and "My Old Flame". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost late 80s recording from CharlieHaden – one that has the bassist working in territory that echoes some of his ECM moments of previous years – but which also bursts forth with some fresh colors and ideas as well! The tunes have a nice sense of movement throughout – and Haden's leadership brings together a compelling lineup that includes performances from Jay Clayton on vocals, Robben Ford on guitar, Ralph Towner on synth, Julian Priester on trombone, and Denny Goodhew on alto and bass clarinet – musicians who shift their configurations over the course of the record, and burst out with new ideas at each step. Titles include "Julia's Child", "In The Moment", "Koputai", "I Could See Forever", "23rd & Cherry", and "Helium Tears". CD

One of the hippest albums Gato Barbieri ever cut – and a key link between his late 60s avant work with Don Cherry, and his Latin-tinged albums of the 70s! The album features Barbieri working with a New York group of avant players – including Beaver Harris on drums, Roswell Rudd on trombone, and CharlieHaden on bass – but the sound is a bit more focused and forward-moving than you might expect, thanks to a strong sense of rhythm on the date. Lonnie Liston Smith plays piano and Richard Landrum handles conga and percussion to give the set a slightly Latin flavor – and the overall sound is not that dissimilar from some of Pharoah Sanders' albums at the same time on Impulse. Barbieri's tone is fantastic – and the spiralling piano work by Smith really gives the album a lofty spiritual tone – on titles that include "Zelao", "Cancion Del Llamero", "Haleo & The Wild Rose", and "Antonio Das Mortes". CD

One of the hippest albums Gato Barbieri ever cut – and a key link between his late 60s avant work with Don Cherry, and his Latin-tinged albums of the 70s! The album features Barbieri working with a New York group of avant players – including Beaver Harris on drums, Roswell Rudd on trombone, and CharlieHaden on bass – but the sound is a bit more focused and forward-moving than you might expect, thanks to a strong sense of rhythm on the date. Lonnie Liston Smith plays piano and Richard Landrum handles conga and percussion to give the set a slightly Latin flavor – and the overall sound is not that dissimilar from some of Pharoah Sanders' albums at the same time on Impulse. Barbieri's tone is fantastic – and the spiralling piano work by Smith really gives the album a lofty spiritual tone – on titles that include "Zelao", "Cancion Del Llamero", "Haleo & The Wild Rose", and "Antonio Das Mortes". LP, Vinyl record album

(Cover has a cutout notch, some wear, some aging, and a light mark from an old sticker.)

A great run of work from legendary drummer Ed Blackwell – pulled together from his creative projects for the Black Saint/Soul Note label! The set features two albums from the Old & New Dreams group – Old & New Dreams and Tribute To Blackwell – both of them great! Like Blackwell, the other members of the group all were once associates of Ornette Coleman – an all-star combo that features work from Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Dewey Redman on tenor, CharlieHaden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums! The sound is quite Ornette-inspired at times – with a definite late 70s harmelodic groove – but given the organic, acoustic nature of the lineup, the sound is almost more faithful to Coleman's vision than Ornette's records of the time. The album also features a compelling trio date – Transit – with Karl Berger on vibes, Dave Holland on bass, and Blackwell on drums. In Willisau features wonderfully soulful duets – with Dewey Redman on tenor next to Blackwell's drums – and the Walls/Bridges album features a trio with Redman, Blackwell, and Cameron Brown on bass. The set also features Morning Song – recorded under the leadership of David Murray – one of Murray's straighter sides from the early 80s, and exactly the kind of record to prove to the world that he could be a strong tenor traditionalist while still bringing an inventive sound to play! Murray's tone is deep and soulful, and often quite lyrical – set nicely in a quartet that features warm piano from John Hicks, bass from Reggie Workman, and drums from Ed Blackwell. The Workman/Blackwell component ensure that things still have an edge at times, even when swinging – and the tunes are a mix of Murray originals and a few standards. Last up is the album From Bad To Badder – played by The American Jazz Quintet – a group with Blackwell on drums, plus Alvin Batiste, Harold Battiste, Ellis Marsalis, and Richard Payne – as well as a guest appearance from New Orleans legend Earl Turbington! 7 albums, 8 CDs, and a heck of a lot of music! CD

The title gets it right – as the album's easily the closest thing to free jazz that Ornette Coleman ever recorded – an album-length improvisation played by a "double quartet" that's overflowing with classic players! The style here is a fair bit like John Coltrane's Ascension album for Impulse – and like that one, the session features Ornette and his contemporaries really stretching out – blowing like never heard before on record, and working in a highly unstructured setting! Other players include Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Scott LaFaro on bass – alongside regular group members Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, CharlieHaden on bass, and both Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums. One long track – just titled "Free Jazz" at 37 minutes! Also includes the bonus track "First Take" at 17 minutes! CD

One of the most compelling albums we've ever heard from Ornette Coleman – and a set that's very different than some of his other work for different labels – particularly his better-known material for Blue Note and Atlantic! The album's got a righteous feel that's right up there in the best spirit of the Flying Dutchman label of the early 70s – a mode that's still on the far reaches of avant jazz that Ornette explored on earlier sessions – but which also has a warmer, almost more spiritual quality at times too. The core group features legendary partners CharlieHaden on bass, Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell on drums – but part of the record features an unnamed group of "Friends & Neighbors", who join in on the title cut with this collaborative spirit that really sets the tone for the whole record. Coleman plays trumpet and violin in addition to his usual alto sax – and titles include the mindblowing two part "Friends & Neighbors", plus "Let's Play", "Long Time No See", "Forgotten Songs", and "Tomorrow". CD

Set of material from the mid 80's – one featuring Ornette reunited with his classic quartet of Don Cherry, CharlieHaden, and Billy Higgins; the other with his Prime Time group that included Bern Nix, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Denardo Coleman. The whole set's a "30 Years Of Harmelodic Music" tribute, and includes the tracks "Space Church", "In All Languages", "Latin Genetics", "Peace Warriors", "Music News", and "Feet Music". Some tracks are done by both bands, and are a good illustration of how Ornette's style had grown in the 30 year period. CD

Obscure Ornette quartet LP for Impulse, featuring him, Dewey Redman, CharlieHaden, and his son Ornette Denardo (at 12) on drums. 4 tracks featuring prime middle-period playing by Ornette, including "C.O.D.", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Ornette also plays trumpet and violin. Nice gatefold with very sweet photos of the two Ornettes together. LP, Vinyl record album

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from the late 50s onward, brought into tighter focus for the Columbia setting – given a bit more complexity, although still with plenty of room for freedom – and played both with a smaller combo, and a slightly larger group. The mix of players is as striking as the sounds on the record – and includes Coleman on alto, trumpet, and violin – plus Dewey Redman on tenor, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, CharlieHaden on bass, and Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell on drums. Asha Pulthi sings a bit on the larger ensemble tracks – making a rare appearance here before her 70s soul career in Germany – and titles include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that certainly lives up to the promise of its title – as it's filled with amazing instrumentation, groundbreaking compositions, and a sound in jazz that few ears could imagine at the time! The groove here is extremely modal – all instruments rolling along on the same rhythmic pulse, with drums, bass, trumpet, and alto sax incredibly intertwined! Ornette's really got an edge on his instrument – cutting even more deeply here than the clipped, punctuated cornet work of Don Cherry – and the rhythm team of CharlieHaden and Billy Higgins are simply amazing – not just keeping up with the energy of Ornette, but also really helping facilitate it as well! Titles include the haunting "Lonely Woman", plus "Peace", "Chronology", and "Focus on Sanity". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz – recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect – very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps some of the more angular styles that Cherry was laying down with Ornette Coleman at the time. The session has Coltrane joining Ornette's group of Don Cherry, CharlieHaden, and Ed Blackwell – save for a few numbers that feature Percy Heath on bass instead of Haden. The set includes great readings of Ornette's "The Blessing", "The Invisible", and "Focus On Sanity", and Coltrane plays both soprano sax and tenor! LP, Vinyl record album

Really wonderful music from Argentine pianist Manolo Juarez – a set hat doesn't just have his trio augmented by the two elements promised in the title – but by a shifting array of sounds from guitar, vibes, quena, and even a bit of voice as well! The music is jazz, but with lots of Argentine touches as well – not really tango, but echos of older folkloric inspiration which come through in a really beautiful way – almost like some of CharlieHaden's South American inspirations, or elements from the Latin America chapter dates from Gato Barbieri – but much more focused and stripped-down to their core. The sound is wonderful – very unique – and titles include "Cancionera", "La Equivoca", "Loca De Amor", "La Bacha", "Luna Tucumana", "La Telesita", and "Vidalita De La Mama". CD

Really wonderful music from Argentine pianist Manolo Juarez – a set hat doesn't just have his trio augmented by the two elements promised in the title – but by a shifting array of sounds from guitar, vibes, quena, and even a bit of voice as well! The music is jazz, but with lots of Argentine touches as well – not really tango, but echos of older folkloric inspiration which come through in a really beautiful way – almost like some of CharlieHaden's South American inspirations, or elements from the Latin America chapter dates from Gato Barbieri – but much more focused and stripped-down to their core. The sound is wonderful – very unique – and titles include "Cancionera", "La Equivoca", "Loca De Amor", "La Bacha", "Luna Tucumana", "La Telesita", and "Vidalita De La Mama". CD

Two sides of McLaughlin, both showcasing his spiritual exploratory inclination. The first side of this album features McLaughlin in a group with Billy Cobham, Airto, CharlieHaden, Dave Liebman and Jerry Goodman plus nice Indian touches from Mahalakshmi on sitar and Badal Roy on tabla. They perform two extended numbers, "Peace One" and "Peace Two", both modal free-ish excursions. Side 2 is solo guitar, or rather McLaughlin multi tracking himself, performing number of shorter pieces, like Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Miles' "Blue In Green", plus "Follow Your Heart", "Something Spiritual" and more. CD

A bold statement from former members of the Charles Mingus group – working here together as a unit after the passing of Mingus, in a set that has some of the best fire and energy of Charles' later years! The tracks here are all Mingus compositions – performed in longish takes that allow for some great solo work from John Handy on alto, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jimmy Owens on trumpet, and Jimmy Knepper on trombone – and rhythm on the session is by the trio of Don Pullen on piano, CharlieHaden on bass, and Dannie Richmond on drums. Titles include "Goodbye Porkpie Hat", "Boogie Stop Shuffle", "My Jelly Roll Soul", and "Sweet Sucker Dance". CD

Trumpeter Smith is playing here in a trio that features Dwight Andrews on flute, tenor, clarinet, and mbira, and Bobby Naughton on vibes and marimba. The album features additional guest work by CharlieHaden, Lester Bowie, and Kenny Wheeler – and the long tracks on the set are sort of a reconciliation of the AACM spirit with the airier sound of ECM. Titles include "Divine Love", "Tastalun", and "Spirituals: The Language Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic late Coltrane work – recorded in 1966 and 1967, but not issued until this release from 1978! The record features 4 tracks from the golden years. Two cuts – "Leo" and "Jupiter (Variations)" feature Coltrane playing spare, beautiful duets with Rashied Ali on drums. The track "Number One" features Trane in a quartet with Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Ali on drums. And "Peace On Earth" features Alice, CharlieHaden, Ali, and Pharoah Sanders. It was previously issued with overdubbed strings on the World Galaxy album – but it's issued here in the better stripped-down version. Very nice – and essential Coltrane material! CD

The title gets it right – as the album's easily the closest thing to free jazz that Ornette Coleman ever recorded – an album-length improvisation played by a "double quartet" that's overflowing with classic players! The style here is a fair bit like John Coltrane's Ascension album for Impulse – and like that one, the session features Ornette and his contemporaries really stretching out – blowing like never heard before on record, and working in a highly unstructured setting! Other players include Eric Dolphy on bass clarinet, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Scott LaFaro on bass – alongside regular group members Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, CharlieHaden on bass, and both Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins on drums. One long track – just titled "Free Jazz"! LP, Vinyl record album

(Red & purple label pressing in the die-cut cover. Cover has some wear.)

Double LP reissue of 2 of Ornette's 70's records. "Science Fiction" has a smaller ensemble of players, like CharlieHaden, Dewey Redman, Don Cherry, or Bobby Bradford. Two, however, have a slightly larger group, with Asha Pulthi on vocals. Tracks include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life". Haunting stuff, and a record that manages to keep all the edges of Ornette's 60's playing, while adding some of the new qualities that would characterize his best work of the 70's. "Skies of America" is one of Ornette's orchestral albums, in which he brings his harmolodic writing approach to a large ensemble of musicians. Ornette still plays over the whole thing, and his alto cuts through the orchestra with a raw power that really makes the whole thing work. LP, Vinyl record album

8 rare unissued tracks from Coleman's brief stint at Columbia, and stuff that was recorded during the same period as his Skies of America and Science Fiction LPs. The groups on the record are strong, and the playing is mostly in a pre-Harmelodic vein. Players include Dewey Redman, Don Cherry, Bobby Bradford, and CharlieHaden – and tracks include "Rubber Gloves", "Broken Shadows", "Happy House", and "School Work". An essential chapter of Ornette's career! CD

Essential stuff! This is one of Ornette Coleman's greatest albums – and it was recorded during a period when he just couldn't miss! The group features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, CharlieHaden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that works perfectly for Ornette's jaunty compositions. The chopped-up modal groove is in full effect here – making the record a treasure trove of angular, highly rhythmic numbers that are easily some of Coleman's best-remembered tunes! Titles include the classics "Ramblin" and "Una Muy Bonita" – performed in original early versions – plus "Free", "The Face Of The Bass", "Bird Food", and "Change Of The Century". CD

One of our favorite Ornette Coleman albums of the post-Atlantic 60s years – a set that still hangs onto some of the bold rhythmic conception of his previous records, but also points the way towards his freer jazz modes to come! The group's a trio – with really tremendous work from CharlieHaden on bass, able to match Coleman's energy with effortless ease, and really getting a lot of room to leave his mark on the music – plus the very young (10!) Denardo Coleman, who plays drums here with this stark, simple style that's not only completely unique, but which also leaves a lot of open room left for Haden and Ornette to really stretch out. Ornette plays his usual alto, plus trumpet and violin – and titles include "Good Old Days", "The Empty Foxhole", "Zig Zag", and "Freeway Express". CD

One of Ornette Coleman's best recordings from the 70s – and like his other album for Columbia, quite a change from the freewheeling sounds he was blowing over at Blue Note! The style here is a bit more high concept, but in a good way – with all the edges that Coleman had developed from the late 50s onward, brought into tighter focus for the Columbia setting – given a bit more complexity, although still with plenty of room for freedom – and played both with a smaller combo, and a slightly larger group. The mix of players is as striking as the sounds on the record – and includes Coleman on alto, trumpet, and violin – plus Dewey Redman on tenor, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, Bobby Bradford on trumpet, Jim Hall on guitar, Cedar Walton on piano, CharlieHaden on bass, and Billy Higgins and Ed Blackwell on drums. Asha Pulthi sings a bit on the larger ensemble tracks – making a rare appearance here before her 70s soul career in Germany – and titles include "What Reason Could I Give", "Street Woman", "The Jungle Is A Skycraper", and "All My Life". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that certainly lives up to the promise of its title – as it's filled with amazing instrumentation, groundbreaking compositions, and a sound in jazz that few ears could imagine at the time! The groove here is extremely modal – all instruments rolling along on the same rhythmic pulse, with drums, bass, trumpet, and alto sax incredibly intertwined! Ornette's really got an edge on his instrument – cutting even more deeply here than the clipped, punctuated cornet work of Don Cherry – and the rhythm team of CharlieHaden and Billy Higgins are simply amazing – not just keeping up with the energy of Ornette, but also really helping facilitate it as well! Titles include the haunting "Lonely Woman", plus "Peace", "Chronology", and "Focus on Sanity". CD

One of Ornette's great albums for the obscure Artists House label, and different from the one that he recorded with James Blood Ulmer, which was more of a straight-on Harmelodic work. This one's got him playing a set of tender sensitive duets with bassist and longtime accompanyist CharlieHaden. The set's far from mellow, though, and the two of them work through a great set of material that includes "Sex Spy", "Soap Suds", and the theme to "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman"! LP, Vinyl record album

Beautifully high concept work from Alice Coltrane – the kind of record you'd use to announce the arrival of a new king – or lord, for that matter! The record features Coltrane at the head of a large group of string players – creating a full, rich sound that serves as the backdrop for the core group of musicians – a trio that features Alice on piano, organ, and harp, plus CharlieHaden on bass and Ben Riley on drums and percussion. The tracks are long, and at times very dark – extremely powerful in their sound, and with a sense of hope, life, and majesty that's extremely inspiring! Titles include "Sri Rama Ohnedaruth", "The Firebird", "Lord of Lords", and "Going Home". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful meeting of two major talents from the left end of jazz – recorded in the early 60's when both were working for Atlantic! Despite the "avant garde" title, this set is straighter than you'd expect – very much in the spirit of Coltrane's work for the label, but with perhaps some of the more angular styles that Cherry was laying down with Ornette Coleman at the time. The session has Coltrane joining Ornette's group of Don Cherry, CharlieHaden, and Ed Blackwell – save for a few numbers that feature Percy Heath on bass instead of Haden. The set includes great readings of Ornette's "The Blessing", "The Invisible", and "Focus On Sanity", and Coltrane plays both soprano sax and tenor! CD

2 obscure early sessions by Keith Jarrett – back to back on one CD! El Juicio is wild and wonderful work by Keith – light years away from his records on ECM! The album features a quartet that includes Dewey Redman on tenor, CharlieHaden on bass, and Paul Motian on drums – but it's clearly Keith who's driving the bus here, taking lots of odd twists and turns for playful moments that come as an unexpected surprise. One of the best of these is the short percussion track "Pre Judgement Atmosphere", which almost sounds like a Moondog number – and another is the rollingly funky "Gypsy Moth", a tune that always seems to be careening out of control, but is never "outside", just percussively grooving. Side two features two longer jamming tracks that almost have a loft jazz feel – "El Juicio" and "Piece For Ornette" – and Keith plays alone on the track "Pardon My Rags". Life Between The Exit Signs is early trio work by Keith, a bit straighter than some of his 70s recordings – but in a good way, with kind of a New York modern groove that reminds us of early work by Paul Bley or Steve Kuhn! The trio's a very progressive group – with CharlieHaden on bass and Paul Motian on drums, making for a really open-ended approach to the rhythms – and the album includes the original compositions "Church Dreams", "Margot", "Long Time Gone", and "Love No 1 & 2". CD

Brilliant quartet material from drummer Paul Motian and masterful supporting players – Joe Lovano on sax, Bill Frisell on guitar and CharlieHaden on bass – recorded in NYC in November of 1988. It's a pretty remarkable example of the kind of creative things jazz figures can do with time-honored standards – eking heretofore unheard beauty out of oft-covered ballads by George Gershwin, Cole Porter and others – while still wholly respecting what makes these numbers so vital in the first place. Wonderful stuff! Includes takes on "Liza", "What Is This Thing Called Love", "I Concentrate On You", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "So In Love" and more. 9 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest 70s albums by Enrico Rava – a set scored with a fullness that matches Rava's own bold notes on the trumpet, and which is carried off in a mix of Latin and European themes that are really wonderful! The set's got a sense of ambition that matches work by the CharlieHaden Liberation Orchestra, or Gato Barbieri on his best sides for Impulse – a meeting of musical worlds and ideas that come together magically, and create something far greater than the individual parts! Other artists involved include Jeanne Lee, John Abercrombie, Warren Smith, El Negro Gonzales, and David Horowitz – and titles include "Water Kite", "Quotation Marks", "San Justo", "Sola", "Short Visit To Malena", and "Espejismo Ratonera". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Don Cherry's most spiritual, far-reaching projects – a wonderful record that builds both on his key avant work of the 60s, and some of the globally-inspired sounds he was cutting overseas! This date was done in close collaboration with the New York underground of the time – and the large group features work from a rich array of great musicians – including Charles Brackeen on soprano and alto sax, Carlos Ward on alto, Frank Lowe and Dewey Redman on tenors, CharlieHaden on bass, Carla Bley on piano, and Ed Blackwell on drums – working with additional string and percussion players in a sound that's completely sublime! There's a great ear here for unusual sonic twists and turns, yet these are mixed with some deeper organic tones, and some freer jazz passages – all to really ignite a great fire as the set rolls on. Titles include "March Of The Hobbits", "Tantra", "Desireless", "Infinite Gentleness", and "Trans-Love Airways". LP, Vinyl record album

Essential stuff! This is one of Ornette Coleman's greatest albums – and it was recorded during a period when he just couldn't miss! The group features Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, CharlieHaden on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – working here with a lively dancing sound on the kit, one that works perfectly for Ornette's jaunty compositions. The chopped-up modal groove is in full effect here – making the record a treasure trove of angular, highly rhythmic numbers that are easily some of Coleman's best-remembered tunes! Titles include the classics "Ramblin" and "Una Muy Bonita" – performed in original early versions – plus "Free", "The Face Of The Bass", "Bird Food", and "Change Of The Century". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably the most classic Alice Coltrane album on Impulse – and a strong group effort that features some great work from Pharoah Sanders! Coltrane leads two different small combos on the record – both with Sanders on saxes, plus either Cecil McBee or CharlieHaden on bass, and Rashied Ali on drums – plus assorted percussion from Tulsi and Majid Shabazz, and some really enigmatic work on oud by Vishnu Wood! Tracks are long and drawn out, and open with the beauty of a field of flowers meeting the dawn – as Alice plays with a sound that's gentle and poetic, but which also has some wonderfully dark undertones. Titles include "Stopover Bombay", "Isis & Osiris", "Shiva-Loka", and "Journey In Satchidananda". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty darn beautiful album of solo guitar tracks – recorded in 1982 by Japanese musician Masayuki Takayanagi, and featuring only electric guitar, played with a spare raspy edge – recorded in a rough style that's quite unusual for a Japanese jazz session of the time! However, it's this style of recording that really brings out the best of the album – as the complicated stylings of Takayanagi ring out with a much more honest sound than you'd expect on an album of this nature – reminding us more of earlier work by Lee Konitz collaborator Billy Bauer than most of the late 70s guitar heroes from Japan! The sound is beautiful throughout – and titles include a version of CharlieHaden's "Song For Che", a reading of Lennie Tristano's "Lennie's Pennies", and a great version of Ornette's "Lonely Woman". CD

An excellent live outing from pianist Denny Zeitlin – recorded at the height of his early powers! The session's got a fresly new conception to piano-based jazz – a style that resonates nicely with the best 60s work of Steve Kuhn or Keith Jarrett, sharing some of the tenderness of the former and the sense of color of the latter. Rhythm is from the team of CharlieHaden on bass and Jerry Granelli on drums – and Haden's bass is an especially powerful force in the set, pushing out the tunes with a flowing quality that pulsates nicely even on the more gentle numbers. Titles include "Lonely Woman", "Where Does It Lead", "My Shining Hour", "Spur Of The Moment", and "Carole's Waltz". CD